The present invention relates to a golf training device.
Practice nets and backstops have been used as practice or training apparatus for golfers who wish to practice striking a golf ball without the golf ball travelling considerable distances. However, these types of apparatus suffer from the disadvantage of not being portable such that the golfer can practise striking the ball at any desired location.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,739 discloses a golf warm up net whereby a portable structure consists of a pair of upright posts which are adapted to be inserted into a ground surface, a substantially U shaped support member which is adapted to support a net therebetween and is located on an upper portion of the pair of posts and a bottom sleeve which contains a plurality of weights which retains the net in a substantially upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,439 discloses a golf practice net apparatus consisting of an elongate cross member having arm portions pivotable between a deployed position in which arm portions are aligned with one another and a storage position in which the arm portions are in adjacent, generally facing abutment with each other whereby a net is securable along both arm portions of the elongate cross member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,780 discloses a golf practice device consisting of a single net enclosure wherein a U shaped canopy is pivotally attached to the upper ends of vertical support members and is held in position for use by brackets which are pivotally attached to the upper portions of the vertical support members and secured to the lower end of the canopy by a nut and bolt arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,094 discloses a self-erecting golf practice net, which is portable and stops the flight of a golf ball and returns the golf ball generally to a selected location and which is foldable for storage and transport. The practice net has a sloping base formed so as to return the golf ball to a selected location and is formed from elastic frame members arranged to provide an upright net and a retaining means for selectively retaining the net in a folded position and for allowing the net to spontaneously move into an erect position when the retaining means is not engaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,731 discloses a golf ball driving practice apparatus comprised of a rigid framework which supports a conical net into which a player practice drives golf balls off a tee.
The problem with the above devices except for U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,731 is that they cannot be used indoors since they all use a substantially erect net whereby stray shots from a golfer will not necessarily be intercepted by the net and accordingly the ball may cause damage within a confined area. Furthermore most of the above devices utilise a spike or post to be inserted into a ground surface so as to secure the net in use.
While the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,731 does contemplate indoor use, this use is limited to non-domestic locations due to the inherent size of the device. Further it does not contemplate the ball returning to the playing area so that a user can strike the same ball again without taking any other intermediate action
The present invention has as one of its preferred objects to provide a device for practising ball sports which is portable and self-supporting and avoids at least some of the difficulties of the prior art referred to above.
Accordingly, the present invention resides in a device for practising ball sports comprising an enclosure defined by a membrane supported from a self-supporting structure, said structure comprising a base having a playing surface and having a forward edge and a support means spaced forwardly and upwardly of the base and supported at least in part from the base, said structure further comprising an upstanding frame supported from the sides of the base and extending over the base, said enclosure being supported from said structure to define a space having an open end and a closed end, said space being of a general conical configuration, said open end being supported from the base to maintain said open end in an open condition adjacent the forward edge and the closed end being supported from the support means in spaced relation to the open end, wherein the lower portion of the enclosure is inclined downwardly from the closed end to the base to enable a ball thereon to return to the playing surface.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the playing surface provides a support surface from which a ball can be struck into the space through the open end.
According to a preferred feature of the invention, the enclosure extends to each side of the base to provide lateral panels to each side of the base rearwardly of the forward edge. According to one preferred embodiment, the open end of the enclosure is of a general arcuate configuration having the ends located at each side of the base rearwardly of the forward edge, said open end being inclined forwardly from the ends wherein the portion of the enclosure between the open end and the upstanding frame provides the lateral panels. According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, the open end is defined by a resiliently flexible elongate member received in the edge of the membrane and resiliently deformed to define the open end. According to a preferred feature of the embodiment, the elongate member is hollow and accommodates a filament which extends through the elongate member and which is adapted to be fixed at either end to the base. According to a further preferred feature of the embodiment, the open end of the enclosure is further defined by a portion which underlies the base and which extends between the sides thereof said portion comprising a flexible resilient second elongate member received in the edge of the membrane and fixed at its ends to the sides of the base and said second elongate member being resiliently bent to an arcuate configuration extending rearwardly away from the forward edge. According to one embodiment of the invention, the enclosure has the general shape of a cylinder wherein one end of the cylinder accommodates the first and second elongate elements and the other end is gathered to provide the closed end.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention the membrane is formed of netting.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the tension of the membrane defining the enclosure between the upstanding frame and the closed end is such as to allow for movement of the membrane transverse to the surface of the space to enable the membrane to absorb the impact forces of any ball impacting on the membrane.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the space between the upstanding frame and the closed end is trumpet shaped.
According to a further preferred feature of the invention, the base comprises a substantially rectangular or square frame which defines the forward edge and sides of the base and which provides a support surface which comprises a panel received by the frame.
According to one particular embodiment, the base comprises a substantially rectangular or square base frame defined by a plurality of elongate elements fixed at their ends by corner elements and said support means comprises a strut member mounted to each side of the base frame adjacent to forward edge and extending forwardly from the forward edge, said strut members converging to, be supported by a junction element, said junction element being supported by an upstanding frame element depending downwardly therefrom, said junction element providing support for the closed end.
According to a further preferred feature of the embodiment, the corner elements of the base located at each end of the forward edge receive and support strut members.
According to a further preferred feature of the embodiment, the corner elements of the base located at each end of the forward edge receive and support strut members.
The invention will now be more fully understood in light of the following description of one specific embodiment.